Evacuation of wounded personnel such as from a combat zone may conventionally include loading patients (e.g., wounded personnel) into an aircraft such as a helicopter and airlifting the patients to a treatment center. Unfortunately, such conventional means for airlifting patients in aircraft not specifically modified for medical evacuation suffers from several drawbacks. For example, patients are typically carried on a stretcher into the cargo area of the aircraft and the stretcher is then placed on the cargo area floor. Medical personnel must crouch down or kneel down on the floor around the patent in order to examine and treat the patient. The patient and the medical personnel are typically not secured to the aircraft such that turbulence, abrupt maneuvering, or a relatively hard landing of the aircraft may result in the patient and medical personnel impacting interior elements of the cargo area and/or impacting one another.
A further drawback associated with conventional means for evacuating patients is that any specialized medical equipment that is required for treating the patient must be carried onto the aircraft by the medical personnel. The specialized equipment must then be secured against movement by attaching the equipment to the walls of the cargo area. An additional drawback associated with convention evacuation of patients is that the cargo area of an aircraft is typically not outfitted with extensive lighting. In low-visibility conditions such as at night, medical personnel must typically wear headlamps in order to treat the patient.
Another drawback associated with conventional patient evacuation is the relatively high noise level in the cargo area of an aircraft which may hinder communication. Although medical personnel may have personal communication devices with headphones and microphones that allow communication with one another, the patient may not have access to a compatible communication device such that the relatively high noise level in the cargo area may prevent effective communication between the medical personnel and the patient. An additional drawback associated with conventional patient evacuation is that the stretcher holding the patient typically and the cargo area of an aircraft may lack a means for containing bodily fluids from wounded personnel. Such bodily fluids present a biological hazard to the passengers and flight crew of the aircraft. In addition, such bodily fluids present a significant corrosion hazard to the aircraft structure.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for transporting a medical patient in a vehicle such as an aircraft wherein the patient and medical personnel are secured against harmful movement. In addition, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for transporting a medical patient that avoids the need for medical personnel to hand-carry specialized medical equipment on board the aircraft. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for transporting a medical patient that provides a relatively well lit and relatively quiet environment for examining and treating the patient.